Installation for generating utilizable energy from potential energy

ABSTRACT

An installation for generating utilizable energy from potential energy is disclosed. The invention comprises a first swivel plate pivotally mounted within a roadway, a second swivel plate spaced from the roadway, transmission means operatively connecting the first and second swivel plates, and fluid fille containers adapted to be compressed.

This invention relates to an installation for generating utilizableenergy from potential energy of slowly driving motor vehicles of thestreet traffic, wherein the machinery comprises at least one rigidswivel plate to be overtravelled by the motor vehicles and beared on abearing block, the plate being lowerable under the weight of a motorvehicle, wherein a fluid being able to flow is urged out of flexiblecontainers and directed into a pressure equalizing container beingconnected with a turbine or a hydraulic motor.

Such an installation for generating utilizable energy from potentialenergy of motor vehicles of street traffic is already known from theU.S. Pat. No. 4,339,920. According to this patent a plurality offlexible containers, which are filled with an incompressible fluid, aresqueezed together, and subsequently the fluid is directed, may be afterpassing a flexible and hence extendable container, to a hydraulic motorfor generating utilizable energy. The containers being compressible bythe weight of a motor vehicle are disposed in small chambers which areinserted within the traffic lane, whereby the covers of these cheers canbe urged by the weight of a motor vehicle into a position underneath thesurface of the traffic lane. Thereby the tire of the motor vehicle ishit very hard like in case of driving through potholes.

Furthermore, an installation for generating utilizable energy frompotential energy of motor vehicles is known from DE-OS 35 42 031.According to this specification, flexible containers filled with waterare compressed by means of rigid swivel plates and the urged out wateris fed for generating energy into a turbine.

It has shown to be a disadvantage of this installation, that there haveto be taken special measures for driving back the urged out water intothe flexible containers and thereby to move back the swivel plates intotheir original position. Furthermore, it has shown to be disadvantageousto urge an incompressible fluid out of the flexible containers, becausein this case the energy cannot be accumulated without taking additionalmeasures in form of a fluid under pressure and hence a turbine cannot bedriven in an optional moment.

In order to render possible to accumulate energy in form of a fluidunder pressure and furthermore to utilize the force of gravity of thewater flowing out of the turbine, additionally for generating energy, itwas further proposed (WO 90/08259) that the fluid being urged out of theflexible containers into the water-bearing pressure equalizing containeris air which presses water through the turbine and through the hydraulicmotor, respectively, and a storage container for water is positionedsubsequently behind the turbine of the hydraulic motor, respectively,and the storage container is pivotably supported on the swivel plate onboth sides of the bearing block, whereby the storage container assistsin lowering the swivel plate and hence assists in driving out the air,wherein filling the storage containers is controlled by motorvehicleactuated signal transmitters which open and close valves, in sucha way that the suitable storage container is exactly filled in the rightmoment so that it actually assists in lowering the plate caused by themotor vehicle.

An object of the invention is to further develop an installation of thepresent kind in such a way that the efficiency of the installation isfurther increased, even if the swivel mechanism has a small constructionheight with only a small swivel stroke of the swivel plate.

In meeting this object the invention is an installation for generatingutilizable energy from potential energy of slowly driving motor vehiclesof the street traffic, comprising a rigid first swivel plate being builtin a traffic lane and being centrally pivoted, said first swivel platebeing supported on flexible first air containers to be compressed by theswiveling of the first swivel plate and being coupled by means of apower transmission with a rigid second swivel plate being locatedlaterally of the first swivel plate outside the traffic lane and beingcentrally supported, additional flexible air containers being supportedat said second swivel plate to be compressed by the swiveling of saidsecond swivel plate, said air containers being connected-throughcompressed-air lines to at least one water-bearing pressure equalizingcontainer connected through a water line with a hydraulic motor,especially with a turbine, to press water through the turbine andthrough the hydraulic motor, respectively, said hydraulic motor andturbine, respectively, being connected with its outlet to water storagecontainers connectable to the pressure equalizing container andpivotably supported by one of the swivel plates whereby the storagecontainer assist in lowering the swivel plate and hence assist incompressing the air containers, wherein filling the storage containersis controlled by motor vehicle-actuated signal transmitters which openand close valves, in such a way, that the suitable storage container isexactly filled at the right moment so that it actually assists inlowering the plate caused by the motor vehicle.

Due to arranging, according to the invention, a second swivel plate,which is coupled with the first swivel plate for transmission of motionand which can be arranged laterally of the traffic lane withoutlimitation of its construction height and by which additional air inadditional flexible air containers is compressed and pumped into thepressure equilizing container to expel the water into the hydraulicmotor and the turbine, respectively, which is driven thereby, a morecomplete utilization of the potential energy of the motor vehiclespassing over the first swivel plate can be reached even if the swivelingstrokes of the first swivel plate are small.

Herein, the power transmission can be constructed as an step-uptransmission so that the swiveling stroke of the second swivel plate islarger than that of the first swivel plate. Said power transmission ispreferably constructed as a lever transmission, though other suitablepower transmissions could be used.

The storage containers can be supported at both sides of the swivel axisof the first swivel plate or of the second swivel plate. From the waterstorage containers the water is redelivered into the pressure equalizingcontainer.

According to a preferred embodiment, the additional second water bearingpressure equalizing containers and additional second water storagecontainers are supported on the additional second swivel plate, thesecontainers having the same construction as the containers supported onthe first swivel plate helping to urge air out of said second flexibleair containers.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention theinstallation further comprises a right end portion and a left endportion of said second swivel plate; a right heavy weight and a leftheavy weight being in operational connection with the right and left endportions and a swivel rod pivoted at its middle portion on a bearingblock; a right and a left water container; and a right and a leftswimmer inside the right and the left water containers, respectively,wherein the swivel rod is connected at its right and left side with theright and left swimmer and the right and left weight, respectively, theadditional flexible air containers being connected to the right and leftwater containers urging water out of the right water container into theleft water container or vice versa, forcing the right swimmer to to moveup and the left swimmer to move down or vice versa, thereby swivelingthe swivel rod and lowering the right weight onto the right end portionof the swivel plate, or vice versa onto the left end portion, forhelping to swivel said second swivel plate and therefore helping to urgeair out of said additional flexible air containers.

According to another preferred embodiment the installation comprisesreserve air pressure containers, providing additional air for urgingwater out of the right water container into the left water container orvice versa, the reserve air container being opened by a valve responsiveto an electronic signal according to the position of the car.

Due to the small construction height of the first swivel plate, thefirst swivel plate can especially be built into the traffic lane as abumpiness causing threshold for slowing down the traffic. On the otherhand, it is possible to build in the first swivel plate in or on thetraffic lane in front of a traffic light for motor vehicles or in or ona sidewalk in front of a pelican crossing.

In the following the invention will be described more detailedly withthe help of preferred embodiments and with reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings shows:

FIG. 1 a construction scheme of a first embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 2 schematically a transmission of motion between two swivel plates.

FIG. 3 a construction scheme of a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is an environmental view of my invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a motor vehicle moves from the right to the lefttowards the swivel plate unit 5 consisting of swivel plates 2, 3 and 4.

The middle swivel plate 3, being said first swivel plate referred toherein, is preferably near its middle portion swiveling on bearing block7 around an axis being horizontal and transverse with respect to thetraffic lane.

Near or directly at the hinges 6 a first storage container 8 and asecond storage container 9 for water- and compressed air is fixed. Bothcomprise two parts, i.e. an upper container 10 being open to atmosphereand a closed pressure equalizing container 11, partly filled with waterand partly filled with compressed air.

A first pressure resistant hose 12 is lead out of the part filled withair of the pressure equalizing container 11 of the first storagecontainer B and is directed to a first flexible air container 13disposed underneath the swivel plates 2 and 3.

Analogically, a second pressure resistant hose 14 is directed from thepart filled with air of the pressure equalizing container of the secondstorage container 9 towards a second flexible air container 15 disposedunderneath the swivel plates 3 and 4.

Both hoses are open towards the flexible air containers, respectively,while they are provided with a nonreturn valve 16 towards the pressureequalizing container 11. Into the part of the first storage container 8which is filled with water a hose 18 is lead which is provided with anonreturn valve 17 at the side of the container and the other side ofwhich leads to a first turbine 19. Analogically, another hose 21 is leadto the second storage container 9 and provided with a nonreturn valve 20at the side of the storage container, while its other end leads to asecond turbine 22.

The nonreturn valve 20 of the second storage container 9 can be openedby signal transmitter 23, while nonreturn valve 17 of the first storagecontainer 8 can be opened by a signal of signal transmitter 24. When theapproaching vehicle touches signal transmitter 23, nonreturn valve 20 isopened and water is urged by means of compressed air within pressureequalizing container 11 through the turbine 22. From the outlet ofturbine 22 water flows towards part 10 of the first storage container 8being open to atmosphere. At the same moment vehicle 1 drives on swivelplate 2, wherein the plate 3 is linked to it and pivoted on bearingblock 7 and turns around an axis being horizontal and transverse withrespect to the traffic lane. As a result of this turning movement theflexible air containers 13 filled with air and disposed under plates 2and 3 are squeezed together urging out compressed air through the firsthose 12 into the pressure equalizing container of the first storagecontainer 8. Thereby nonreturn valve 16 opens by itself.

Because in the meantime a sufficient amount of water has passed turbine22 into the first storage container 8, the force of gravity of the firststorage container 8 which is supported near hinge 6 connecting plate 2and plate 3 assist in squeezing together the first flexible aircontainer 13, whereby it assists in drawing up a storage of compressedair within pressure equalizing container 11 of storage container 8. Whenthe vehicle reaches bearing block 7 being disposed near the secondsignal transmitter 24, nonreturn valve 17 of the first storage container8 is opened and water is urged by the compressed air drawn up beforewithin pressure equalizing container 11 of the first storage container 8through hose 18 into turbine 19, the outlet of which terminates in part10 of the second storage container 9 open to atmosphere, whereby theforce of gravity of the container 9 assist in forcing plate 3 to turn inthe other direction, whereby the storage of compressed air within thesecond storage container 9 which had been used up before is rebuilt,after nonreturn valve 25 had opened under the pressure of the waterwithin part 10 of the second storage container 9 and hence pressureequalizing container 11 had been refilled with water. By means of thepressure being rebuild within pressure equalizing container 11 thenonreturn valve 25 is closed again.

When the vehicle leaves plate 4 and hence the whole installation, thestorage of compressed air within the pressure equalizing container 11 ofthe first storage container 8 is used up again and no water is leftwithin the pressure equalizing container. This causes that nonreturnvalve 26 of the first storage container 8 opens under the pressure ofthe water within part 10 of the storage container being open toatmosphere and discharges into the pressure equalizing container fillingit with water again. That means that the final state, i.e. the stateafter the vehicle has left the installation, is the same as the originalstate, i.e. the state before the vehicle was driven onto theinstallation.

The plate 3 returns thereby by itself into a certain predeterminedposition. Thereby the nonreturn valves 27 of the flexible air containers13 or 15, respectively, open and render possible that fresh air can passinto the air containers.

That means that in the original and the final states the part 10 of thefirst storage container 8 being open to atmosphere is empty, thepressure equalizing container 11 is partly filled with water and thepressure within the pressure equalizing container is the same as theatmospheric pressure, while the part 10 of the second storage container9 being open to atmosphere is filled with water as well as the pressureequalizing container 11 is partly filled with water and partly filledwith compressed air.

Hence, if a following vehicle drives onto the installation, the wholeprocedure can take place again, whereby the turbines 19 and 22 are bothdriven for a short period of time and may, for instance, generateelectrical power by means of a dynamo being coupled with the turbines.

Because the supplying of energy by the vehicles takes placediscontinuously, i.e. temporarily not constant, it is convenient toprovide the turbines 19, 22 with a flywheel which has the function tostore kinetic energy for bridging over the period of time when novehicle drives onto the installation.

The installation according to the invention further comprises at leastone second swivel plate arrangement 35, which is shown in FIG. 1 only byreason of figuring below the first swivel plate arrangement 5 and whichactually is located laterally of the first swivel plate arrangementoutside of the traffic lane. The second swivel plate arrangement 35comprises a second swivel plate 33, which also centrally is rotatinglysupported on a second bearing block 37. Above and below the swivel plateat both sides of the bearing block 37 and spaced therefrom additionalflexible air containers 43 and 45 are provided which at the one hand areattached to the swivel plate 33 and at the other hand are attached tostationary supports 46 and 47. The flexible air containers are alsoconnected to the pressure equalizing containers 11 through pressureresistant flexible hoses 42, 44 and nonreturn valves 16 or additionalnonreturn valves. The swivel plate 33 is coupled with the swivel plate 3of swivel plate arrangement 5 by means of power transmissions 48, whichare only schematically shown by dash and dot lines, in such a way thatthe swivel motions of the swivel plate 3 are transmitted to the swivelplate 33 so that the latter is also rotated up and down and thereforethe air containers 43 and 45 are alternately compressed for compressingair and pumping the compressed air into the respective pressureequalizing container 11 and extended again for sucking-in environmentalair through additional nonreturn valves not shown.

FIG. 2 schematically shows such a power transmission 48 in form of atwo-arm swivel lever, being stationarily supported and engaging with itslever arm the swivel plate 3 and the swivel plate 33, respectively. Thelever arms of swivel lever can be differently long in order to providefor a larger swivel stroke of swivel plate 33 than of swivel plate 3.

Instead of supporting the water storage containers 10 and the pressureequalizing container 11 integrated therein on first swivel plate 3, itis possible to support them on second swivel plate 33. Further, it ispossible to provide for such containers 10, 11 both on swivel plate 3and on swivel plate 33. 33.

FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of the invention wherein an additionalright weight 40A and an additional left weight 40B help to swivel theadditional swivel plate 33. For this reason, the weights 40A and 40B areconnected to a swivel rod 50 pivoted on a bearing block 51. The swivelrod 51 is swiveled by a right swimmer 52A floating within a right watercontainer 20A and a left swimmer 52B floating within a left watercontainer 20B, thereby moving said first weight down onto the right endportion of the second swivel plate 33 and the left weight up from saidleft end portion of the second swivel plate 33 and helping to urge airout of the second flexible containers 43 and 45. The mechanism ofswiveling the swivel rod 51 is as follows: Besides a pipe or lose 12leading to the turbine 19 the second flexible container 45 is connectedby a further hose 53 to a right water container 20A. When air is urgedout of the flexible container 45 as described with reference to FIG. 1,it is pressed via hose 53 into the right water container 20A urgingwater within this container 20A via a further hose into the left watercontainer 20B. As a result, the swimmer 52A within the right watercontainer 20A is lowered and the swimmer 52B within the left watercontainer 20B is moved up. This causes, that the right weight 40A islowered onto the right end portion 33A of the second swivel plate 33. Inthis state, the right weight 40A helps to urge air out of the flexiblecontainers 43 and 45. In the other case, i.e. when the left portion 33Bof the second swivel plate 33 is lowered, the right swimmer 52A is movedup and the left swimmer 52B is moved doll in the above mentioned way,causing the opposite reaction and helping again to urge air out theflexible containers 43 and 45. By means of non return valves it isrealized, that the air and water is not released before it should bereleased.

According to further improvements of the embodiment according to FIG. 3,the air in the flexible containers 43 and 45 is precompressed to realizea higher pressure. Moreover, right and left reserve air pressurecontainers 54A, 54B are connected to the right and left water containers20A and 20B, opening towards these water containers 20A, 20B by means ofa valve responsive on a electronic signal due to the position of thecar. Additional air pressure may also be applied by a further swivelplate urging out air and being actuated by a car.

What I claim is:
 1. An installation for generating utilizable energyfrom the potential energy of moving motor vehicles, on a road comprisinga first, swivel plate pivotably mounted in said road, said first swivelplate being supported on flexible first air containers to be compressedby the swiveling of the first swivel plate and being coupled by means ofa power transmission to a rigid second swivel plate being locatedlaterally of the first swivel plate and being centrally supported,flexible second air containers supported at said second swivel plate tobe compressed by the swiveling of said second swivel plate, said firstand second air containers being connected through compressed-air linesto at lest one water-bearing pressure equalizing container connectedthrough a water line with a hydraulic motor to press water through thehydraulic motor, said hydraulic motor being connected with its outlet towater storage containers adapted to being connected to the pressureequalizing container and pivotally supported by at least one of theswivel plates whereby the storage container assists in lowering theswivel plate and hence assists in compressing the air containers,wherein filling the storage containers is controlled by motorvehicleactuated signal transmitters which open and close valves in sucha way, that the suitable energy container is exactly filled at the rightmoment so that it assists in lowering the plate caused by the motorvehicle.
 2. The installation according to claim 1, wherein said powertransmission is constructed as an step-up transmission so that theswiveling stroke of the second swivel plate is larger than that of thefirst swivel plate.
 3. The installation according to claim 1, whereinsaid power transmission is constructed as a lever transmission.
 4. Theinstallation according to claim 1, wherein additional second waterbearing pressure equalizing containers and additional second waterstorage containers are supported on the additional second swivel plate,these containers having the same construction as the containers,supported on the first swivel plate helping to urge air out of saidsecond flexible air containers.
 5. The installation according to claim1, further comprising a right end portion and a left end portion of saidsecond swivel plate; a right heavy weight and a left heavy weight beingin operational connection with the right and left end portions and aswivel rod (50) pivoted at it's middle portion on a bearing block; aright and a left water container; and a right and a left swimmer insidethe right and left water containers, respectively, wherein the swivelrod is connected at it's right and left side with the right and leftswimmer and the right and left weight, respectively, the additionalflexible air containers being connected to the right and left watercontainers (20A, 20B) urging water out of the right water container intothe left water container or vice versa, forcing the right swimmer tomove up and the left swimmer to move down or vice versa, therebyswiveling the swivel rod (50) and lowering the right weight (40A) ontothe right end portion (33A) of the swivel plate (33), or vice versa ontothe left end portion, for helping to swivel said second swivel plate andtherefore helping to urge air out of said additional flexible aircontainers.
 6. The installation according to claim 5, further comprisingreserve air pressure containers, providing additional air for urgingwater out of the right water container (20A) into the left watercontainer (20B) or vice versa, the reserve air containers (54A, 54B)being opened by a valve responsive to an electronic signal according tothe position of the car.
 7. The installation according to claim 1,wherein the first swivel plate is built into a traffic lane as abumpiness causing threshold in a traffic calmed zone.
 8. Theinstallation according to claim 1, wherein the first swivel plate isbuilt into the traffic lane in front of a traffic light.
 9. Theinstallation according to claim 1, wherein the first swivel plate isbuilt into a sidewalk in front of a pelican crossing traffic light. 10.A device for generating energy from potential energy of a movingvehicle, comprising:a first bearing support; a first assembly supportedby said bearing support such that said first plate assembly is loweredby the force of gravity of a vehicle travelling over said first plateassembly; a second bearing support; a second plate assembly supported bysaid second bearing support, and positioned remote from said first plateassembly; transmission means operationally connecting said first andsecond plate assemblies; a first pressure equalizing reservoir adaptedto retain water and air; a flexible container assembly containing airand in fluid communication with said reservoir, said flexible containerbeing positioned such that the lowering of said second plate assemblycompresses and forces air from said container and to said pressureequalizing reservoir so as to achieve a pressure increase in saidreservoir; a first duct in fluid communication with said reservoir; afirst valve member positioned in line with said first reservoir and saidfirst duct; a first motor positioned in line with said first duct anddownstream from said first reservoir; a first water storage containersupported by said second plate assembly; valve actuating means foropening said valve such that the increased pressure in said firstreservoir is released through the forcing of water from said firstreservoir, through said first duct, and past said first motor in a motordriving fashion; and first directing means for directing water that hasexcited said first reservoir into said first water storage container,such that the water level increases when the vehicle travels over saidplate assembly so as to assist the vehicle in lowering the plateassembly.
 11. A device as recited in claim 10, wherein said first motoris a turbine.
 12. A device as recited in claim 10, further comprising asecond pressure equalizing reservoir, a second duct, a second motor, asecond valve member, or second directing means, and a second waterstorage container, operatively connected to said first plate assembly.